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Chapter 23

作者: Tear stained lore
last update 公開日: 2026-03-31 00:03:44

Maria:

The house feels… arranged when I walk in.

Not loud. Not tense. Just—set.

Like something has already been decided and I’m the last person being let in on it.

“Maria.”

I barely get two steps into the living room before my mother calls me back.

Of course.

I turn slowly, already bracing myself.

She’s seated. Composed. Waiting.

And she’s not alone.

Daniel’s parents are here.

And Daniel—

He’s already there, sitting like he belongs in the middle of all of this. Relaxed in that way he does, like
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  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 60

    Maria: For a while, we just walk. No urgency. No destination. Just the quiet stretch of sand and the steady rhythm of the waves folding into themselves and pulling back again. I hold my heels in one hand, the straps dangling between my fingers, and focus on where I’m stepping so I don’t sink too deep. The cool grains shift under my bare feet with every step. He stays beside me. Close, but not touching. It feels deliberate. Like we both understand that something already shifted and we are being careful not to rush past it. “I don’t do this,” he says after a while. I glance at him. “Do what?” “This.” He gestures vaguely, like even naming it is unnecessary. “Talking like this. Feeling… anything I can’t control.” I let out a small breath that almost turns into a smile. “That explains a lot.” He doesn’t react to that. Just keeps walking, eyes ahead. The wind carries the salty scent of the sea across the beach. “I’m not avoiding it,” he adds. “You are.” “I’m not.” “You are,” I

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 59

    Maria: By the time Daniel pulls up, I am already done pretending. Not dramatically done. Not in a way that makes me slam doors or cancel plans. Just… quietly finished with whatever this has been pretending to be. I stand in front of my mirror longer than necessary, adjusting an earring I already fixed two minutes ago, and I catch myself staring. I look like I belong in this life. That thought unsettles me more than anything. Everything is right. The dress. The makeup. The hair. If someone took a picture right now, it would fit perfectly into everything people already think they know about me. I reach for my phone without thinking. The screen lights up, and even though I do not open anything, I remember it clearly. The pictures. The angles. The way something as small as standing close to someone can be turned into a narrative you did not agree to. The land stays with me. Not the gala. Not the café. That quiet stretch of space that felt like mine the moment I stepped into it. T

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 58

    Daniel: I read the same line again. Then again. The numbers are right. The projections are clean. There is nothing wrong with the document in front of me. If anything, it is one of the better reports this quarter. I close it anyway. The office is quiet. Glass walls, muted light filtering through the tall windows, everything exactly where it should be. It usually helps me think. Keeps things in order. Today, it just feels… still. The faint hum of the air conditioning fills the space, but it does nothing to ease the restlessness under my skin. My phone lights up on the desk. I glance at it, then ignore it. If it is important, it will come back. It always does. I lean back slightly and rest my hand against the arm of the chair, my eyes settling somewhere past the desk, toward the city skyline visible through the glass. And then, without effort, my mind shifts. Not to work. To her. Maria. The land comes first, but not in the way it should. Not like a project I am assessing.

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 57

    Maria: Daniel doesn’t say much when we get to mine. He slows the car, pulls up like he’s done this a hundred times, even though he hasn’t. The engine stays on for a second longer than necessary. I notice that before I realize I’m noticing it. The low rumble vibrates through the seat, mixing with the distant hum of city traffic. “Get some rest,” he says. I nod. “You too.” It feels like there should be something else. Not big. Just… something. But he’s already looking ahead again, like he’s moved on, like whatever we just shared back there has been filed away neatly in his head. Of course it has. I step out and close the door. The sound lands a little harder than I expect, echoing slightly in the quiet street. I don’t look back. I don’t give myself time to. — I’m halfway up the stairs when my phone starts buzzing. Once. Twice. Then continuously, like it’s trying to get my attention before something gets worse. The vibrations pulse against my palm, insistent and sharp. I alrea

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 56

    Maria: Marcus is the first to stand, like he’s been waiting for an excuse to leave. “I have things to do,” he says, already halfway out of the conversation, his attention drifting to his phone. Isabelle leans back in her chair, studying him like he’s a problem she plans to solve eventually. “Does it involve your mother?” He doesn’t look up. “No.” “That’s unfortunate,” she says, tilting her head. “I would have liked to come with you. I should probably meet my future mother-in-law at some point.” That gets a reaction. Barely. He pauses, just long enough to glance at her. “You’re very unserious.” “And yet, I’m consistent,” she replies, smiling like she’s proud of that. He shakes his head once and walks off, clearly done with all of us. Isabelle watches him go, then sighs softly. “He’s warming up to me.” “He’s not,” Lily says. “He is. You just don’t see it.” “I see everything. There’s nothing to see.” Isabelle ignores that and pushes her chair back. “I should go too. I have

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 55

    Maria: Lily never knocks. She pushes my door open like she pays rent here and walks in already mid-thought, already judging me. “You look suspicious,” she says, stopping in front of me like she’s about to conduct an inspection. I stare at her. “Good morning.” “That was not a greeting. That was a distraction.” She folds her arms, eyes narrowing slightly. “You look like someone who did something questionable and is trying very hard to act normal.” I reach for my bag. “You woke up and chose to be annoying.” “I wake up like this every day. Now answer the question.” “There is no question.” “There is always a question with you.” I brush past her. “We’re leaving.” Her entire expression shifts instantly. “Oh, we’re going out? See, this is why I like you. You make good decisions under pressure.” “I didn’t say I was going willingly.” “You are already dressed.” “That’s not the point.” — The café is busy in a calm, unbothered way. No urgency, no noise that feels stressful. Just peo

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 26

    Daniel: I don’t sit still long enough for anything to settle. That’s the problem. If I stop moving, I start thinking. And if I start thinking, I end up back there—voices layered over each other, decisions being made like I’m not in the room, like I’m part of something already agreed on. And

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 25

    Maria:Milo doesn’t trust me.He’s a tiny brown dog with too much energy packed into a small body, pacing in uneven circles on the examination table like he’s looking for an escape route that doesn’t exist.“It’s fine,” I tell him softly, resting my hands on the edge of the table instead of reachin

  • What We Pretended To Be     Chapter 24

    Maria:I don’t move when the phone starts ringing.I just stare at it.Noah.It rings again.And again.I pick it up on the third.“Hi.”There’s a pause. Not long. Just enough to feel like he’s adjusting himself before speaking.“Hey.”His voice is calm. Careful in a way I don’t think I’ve heard be

  • What We Pretended To Be    Chapter 22

    Maria:I wake up to my phone vibrating like it’s been trying to get my attention for a while and I’ve just been ignoring it.For a second, I don’t move. Just lie there, staring at the ceiling, letting the unfamiliar quiet settle around me.Then it hits.Hotel. Trip. Storm.Daniel.I reach for my ph

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